Commission rebuts criticisms of mental health tribunals

The Legal Services Commission (LSC) has hit back over claims that too few law firms are able to provide publicly funded representation before mental health review tribunals.According to a report on the tribunals by the Council on Tribunals, 43 firms in England and Wales hold franchises to represent patients, a situation the council described as 'most unsatisfactory'.It claimed that recent changes in legal aid franchising arrangements 'may have led directly to a reduction in the availability of this service to mental health patients'.The report expressed concern at the civil liberties implications of a lack of available representation.An LSC spokeswoman responded: 'The conclusion that there is insufficient provision for representation of mental health patients is based on incorrect figures.

'Our figures show that 346 mental health contractors are eligible to provide legal aid.

There is always room for improvement, but we don't recognise the picture portrayed in this report.'

Rowland Byass

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